This story originally appeared in the Times-Mirror's "Taste of Loudoun" May 8.

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Which V are you in the mood for?

Modern, luxurious bar where you can throw a few back, watch the game, scarf down some wings and shut down for a bit -- that's the perfect V for the close of a long week.

Outdoor, cabana-style relaxation as spring dawns after months of a temperamental winter. V can accommodate.

Big-booth, lively-yet-refined dinner with that dazzling lady or gentlemen you're eager to show off. Yet another offering of V.

Technically the name's The V, but it's not a stretch to imagine the Ashburn eatery quickly becoming known as V in our rapid, 140-character culture. Placed prominently in the dining plaza near the crossroads of Waxpool Road and Loudoun County Parkway, The V is the latest culinary creation from Anthony Cavallo, owner of the popular Vintage 50 in Leesburg. For The V, Cavallo partnered with savvy businessman Hakim Alston; and thus far, just seven months in, the partners' vision is vibrant, evolving.

Everything The V does focuses on eclecticism, Cavallo says, from unique craft beers and a solid list of wines to the 100-seat patio to the posh lounge that ushers the bar vibe into a more traditional, upscale-casual dinner setting.

“We want to kind of have that classic cool feel – after 9 p.m. it does kind of shift to a social scene without taking away from the eatery concept and the brewhouse,” Alston notes. “As we were rolling out the social eatery concept, Anthony was very diligent to the point where he said, 'look, the first thing we establish is the food – we establish the food as being the cornerstone of who we are.' And from there we can start to focus and perfect the other things.”

Cavallo adds, “We took a lot of time to create a menu that we knew could create the bases we wanted to cover.”

While the menu's price point is just of many draws for V patrons, it's a fine one. From $20 New York strip steak to a $9 fried cod sandwich to $17 risotto with shrimp or salmon, Cavallo seems to have succeeded in “covering the bases” for diners without depleting their wallet. Five-dollar burgers on Mondays and daily happy-hour specials add to the high value, comfortable environment Cavallo and Alston have constructed in the bar.

The V's forthcoming brewhouse, attached at the end of restaurant, is expected to lure beer aficionados, including those Vintage 50 loyalists, to the eastern Loudoun location. Eventually, the brewmaster at Vintage 50 will be whipping up the specialty pilsners, porters and ales for both locations.

While Cavallo makes clear Vintage 50 and The V are separate entities, he anticipates the natural name association between The V and Vintage 50 will draw a consistent crop of both new and returning clients.

While at first glance The V's location may not seem ideal, the incessant traffic on Waxpool and two hotels a stones throw away have all been friends to Cavallo and Alston's joint. Add to that Northern Virginia's diverse residents and visitors, the owners are betting their multi-faceted approach – the bar, brewhouse, lounge, outdoor seating, sit-down service – will pay off.

“It was a very conscience effort of how we went about trying to deliver that refined but yet casual social dining,” Alston said.

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